


What Happened In That Cave?

by crying_at_ikea



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: APPARENTLY BEING GAY IS NOT A-OKAY, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Badass Toph Beifong, Dialogue Heavy, Don't Like Don't Read, Episode: s03e16 The Southern Raiders, F/F, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Lesbian Azula (Avatar), Lesbian Ty Lee (Avatar), Multi, Not Compliant with Avatar Comics, One-sided Aang/Katara - Freeform, Ozai (Avatar) Being a Terrible Parent, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Ozai beat his kids, Ozai didn't cut Ilah, SLOWWWWW BURNNNN FOR EVERYONE, Slow Burn Katara/Zuko (Avatar), THE FIRE NATION IS PROGRESSIVE BUT SOZIN IS AWFUL, Zuko's Scar (Avatar), Zutara could be read as platonic, but ozai's still the worst, he’s all in all a douchebag, i'm still bitter that there's no zutara, i’m so sorry for y’all, katara heals zuko's scar, like girls are in the army, my OFC is named Ilah, no beta we die like men, she got it in a bar fight lmao, she’s got a knife scar over her right eye, so could Tyzula and Mailah, so she’s blind in that eye, the fire nation is kinda modern, ty lee is a sweetheart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24722905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crying_at_ikea/pseuds/crying_at_ikea
Summary: When they're stuck in the Ba Sing Se catacombs, Katara and Zuko make a plan. But what is it, and why is Katara so relieved to see Zuko alive?Katara/Zuko, Sokka/Toph/Suki, Azula/Ty Lee, Mai/Ilah (OFC)Don't like don't read.
Relationships: Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Original Female Character(s), Toph Beifong/Sokka/Suki
Comments: 2
Kudos: 28





	What Happened In That Cave?

**Author's Note:**

> Flames welcomed, I really could not care less what y'all say. Updates *may* be sporadic, sorry! I have a very busy schedule and quarantine brain isn't helping.

“Zuko—” Katara started, reaching for his hand. “I’m not going to leave you here. Ozai will hurt you, he _will_. And it might not be the same as last time.” Her hand drifted to his now-unscarred face, tracing the sharp lines of his jaw.

“You have to go,” he said softly, taking her hand in his and lowering it. “If Ozai sees you with me, he’ll kill you. Please, Katara. You have to go, now.” His golden eyes slid shut as Ozai cackled again, likely hitting Aang with a blast of fire. “I’m sorry.”

“I can’t leave you here,” she whispered brokenly. “I don’t want to.”

“But you have to,” the sixteen-year-old responded. “You have to. I won’t break my promise to you, okay? As soon as I can, I’ll find you.” Aang’s unconscious body slammed into the ground and Katara grabbed him, pulling Aang into the Ba Sing Se catacombs.

* * *

“How did the Avatar get away?” Ozai roared, splintering the tabletop with the force of his fire. “We had him right there!”

“Some girl snatched him from the ground and dragged him away.” Zuko sat down, crossing his arms. “Disappeared into the catacombs before I could catch her. Followed her for an hour, too,” he sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “I can’t believe he slipped out of our fingers again!”

“But you got very close, son,” Ozai said, resting a hand on his shoulder, “and for that I am very proud of you. Next time we see him, he will be greatly weakened, and we will extinguish him once and for all.”

“Father, he’ll just be reborn,” Azula stated dryly, situating herself next to her brother. “The new Avatar would be young, yes, but soon enough, they’d be old enough to face us. Right, Zuzu?”

“Yes,” Zuko reasoned, “but we have to be able to eventually end the line of Avatars. There has to be a way.” The boy felt sick even as he spoke, and he knew that his bullshit excuse would fall through soon enough.

“Perhaps,” Ozai said. “Thank you, Prince Zuko. Azula, Zuko, you two are dismissed.” The siblings rose, bowing to their father before walking back to the royal wing. Azula caught sight of Ty Lee and excused herself, but not before Zuko was able to say, "Just ask her out!" Azula's only response was the middle finger. How mature.

 _This is getting out of hand_ , Zuko thought to himself. _How am I supposed to get back to Katara if I can’t even find an excuse to leave the palace?_

“Prince Zuko!” came a startled cry, and he turned to see a servant standing with a pile of linens in her arms.

“Hello,” he said simply, bowing his head in greeting. The woman fell into a deep curtsy.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you,” the woman said, biting her lip. “I can come back later.”

“As long as you don’t come into my quarters it’s fine,” Zuko replied, shrugging. “I really don’t mind.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” the woman said, gathering up the cloth and quickly making her way into the nearest room.

 _Agni damn it_ , Zuko thought, scowling. _There are servants everywhere._ Zuko slid the door to his room shut, flopping onto his bed. _How is the plan supposed to work if everyone is constantly listening to me? Thank Agni that Katara healed my scar, though. When I finally escape I can blend in very easily._ The prince lifted a hand to his face, shutting his eyes tight and thinking back to that day in the cave. When they had bonded—albeit a bit morbidly—over how the Fire Nation had taken their mothers away from them. When Katara had pulled out the water from the North Pole. That was the first time in a long time that he had felt unburdened. If only he could have that feeling now.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are my lifeblood! Sorry this chapter is so short. I ran into a bit of writer's block, but hopefully the next chapter will be longer.


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